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Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur (2018-19)
| next = }} Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur was a match which took place at the Dean Court on Saturday 4 May 2019. Tottenham had two players sent off as they missed the chance to guarantee Champions League football next season with a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth. It was far from ideal preparation for Mauricio Pochettino's side, who face Ajax in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday in Amsterdam, having lost the first leg 1-0. Son Heung-Min was dismissed for pushing Jefferson Lerma at the end of a frantic first half, in which Eric Dier was lucky not to have been sent off and Bournemouth could conceivably have had two penalties. Then, just over two minutes after coming on at half-time, Juan Foyth was also shown a straight red card as he slid studs-up into Jack Simpson. Bournemouth gave a senior debut to 19-year-old Irish goalkeeper Mark Travers and he made five saves in the first half to keep Spurs at bay, but was a spectator in the second half. Despite their numerical advantage, the Cherries were unable to capitalise until Nathan Ake popped up to score a 91st-minute winner, heading in from a corner. Spurs have now won just once in their past four league games and stay third on 70 points with only next Sunday's match against Everton to come. In the race for a top-four spot, they are four points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal, who have two games remaining. Chelsea can go third if they beat Watford on Sunday. How Pochettino would have wanted a straightforward win and the chance to rest players with the biggest game of his managerial career looming on Wednesday. But his side made things far from easy and were the creators of their own downfall. Dier was the first into Craig Pawson's book as early as the 11th minute, with a bad tackle on Ryan Fraser and he could easily have received a second booking with a mistimed lunge on Joshua King as he stopped a Bournemouth counter-attack. Hugo Lloris could have conceded a penalty when he collided with King, as the Norwegian tried to poke the ball past him. And the Cherries had another penalty shout when Dier booted the back of Callum Wilson's ankle as he went to shoot. Son's uncharacteristic red card came in the 43rd minute as he let his frustration boil over after he was pulled up for a foul on Fraser and he shoved Lerma, who dramatically fell to the ground. Spurs had been on top in the first half, testing debutant Travers on a number of occasions and, while Son's sending-off made things hard, Foyth's senseless challenge made it almost impossible. The Argentine came on for Toby Alderweireld, but he had just three touches in two minutes and 13 seconds before he caught Simpson. They failed to register a shot on target in the second half and as Bournemouth ratcheted up the pressure, Ake's goal was a matter of when, not if. Pochettino will have to somehow pick his tired players up for the Ajax game, against a team who have already eliminated Real Madrid and Juventus. But they go into that game in some of their worst form of the season, having suffered three consecutive defeats and five in their past six games in all competitions. Match Details |goals2 = Son Heung-min Foyth |stadium = Dean Court, Bournemouth |attendance = 10,630 |referee = Craig Pawson }} |valign="top"| |valign="top" width="50%"| |} See also *2018-19 Premier League: Match day 37 External links *Match report at BBC.co.uk Category:2018-19 Match Day info Category:A.F.C. Bournemouth matches Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. matches Category:2018–19 Premier League Matches